The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported that sports participation records in the United States have reached record levels in recent years. Sports can positively impact both children and adults, providing opportunities to exercise and spend time with peers in a healthy environment.
Proficiency in a sport requires patience and, more importantly, practice. Practice allows a person to hone their skills and improve as a player. To increase the benefits of practice, simulations around the goal area are often desired. Practicing around a goal area sharpens goal-tending skills and goal-scoring ability,
A known issue with practicing is the lack of available goals on school campuses and in parks. Thus, there is a need for a transportable goal that allows players to simulate a goal area during practice.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,878 to Munro, a collapsible, portable sporting goal frame is provided, having a pair of side support frames connected by a pair of flexible cables. Each of the side frames is constructed of a sequence of individual tubular frame members that connect to one another on an end-to-end basis. An elastic cord runs through each of the tubular members, and is placed in a stretched configuration when the tubular members are slideably connected together, end-to-end. The elastic cord thereby applies a compressive force against the connected frame members, resisting the unintentional disassembly thereof. When storage or transport is required, the individual members slide apart, with the elastic cord maintaining sequential order of the frame members. The net is attached to the flexible cables and the tubular frame members collapse in a manner forming a take-up spindle for the netting.
There is a continuing need for a portable framework structure that may be used in combination with a net to construct a sports goal for use in various sporting events.